Making decisions about educational programming: An investigation of watershed groups in Indiana and Illinois

Alicia B Haley, Purdue University

Abstract

Watershed groups in the Midwest have provided a variety of different education and outreach interventions to address many of the water quality issues within their watersheds. Knowing how watershed groups work, and what they do to promote educational initiatives about local water quality issues, can help to build more effective educational intervention strategies to promote improved water quality. This research investigates what kinds of educational interventions are being run by watershed groups in the Midwest, how watershed groups have decided which specific programs to pursue, and if these decisions were based on any knowledge of social information. Interviews with watershed coordinators in Indiana and Illinois are used to examine what criteria go into deciding which education and outreach interventions watershed groups in the Midwest pursue, and if there are any regional commonalities or differences in these criteria. Additional interviews were conducted with state employees in both states to determine to what extent they are able to assist watershed groups in collecting and using social information in their education and outreach development and implementation. In depth qualitative analysis is used to shed some light on these issues, and further explain how the use of social information in education and outreach can lead to stronger, more targeted education and outreach interventions.

Degree

M.S.

Advisors

Prokopy, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Environmental education|Forestry|Social studies education|Environmental science

COinS